Three City Buildings Cited For Code Violations

NEW BRITAIN — Mayor Lucian Pawlak stood, arms crossed, and watched as police, fire and health inspectors streamed in through the littered, rotting porch at 184/186 North Street.

``I'm surprised this thing is still standing,'' said Pawlak, scanning the crumbling three-story building. Broken glass and plastic bottles were scattered on the ground, and piles of garbage and broken furniture on the sunken porch.

``It's still not the worst I've seen,'' he said.

Police, building inspectors and supervisors from the state's attorney's office raided three blighted city buildings Thursday -- the latest in their surprise visits through the Multi-Agency Response to Community Hotspots program.

The program's goal is to clean up nuisances in city neighborhoods and send a message to other building owners: Keep up your properties, or you might soon get a surprise visit.

The program raided three sites Thursday on a number of code violations, two of which were on Arch Street: an 18-unit building at 206, 212 and 214 Arch Street, where officials found evidence of illegal alcohol sales, and a building at 150-160 Arch Street. The latter building, which had five occupied units, had such severe violations that it was condemned. Sewage had drained into the basement, electrical problems riddled the building and rats infested the units.

Tenants were being relocated Thursday afternoon.

At the North Street building, officials inspected the apartments and the first-floor bar, Rainbow Cafe, taking stock of the violations. The bar had at least 10 major health violations, inspectors said. And in the apartment buildings, police made three drug arrests.

The building was also condemned, with six families relocated.

In a corner unit upstairs, resident Nartecia Moses said she welcomed the visit. She said her apartment, for which she pays $550 a month, had a slew of safety and health problems, from faulty windows and door locks to rat and roach infestations. Moses, 25, said she had told the landlord about the problems many times.

``When you go to him, he'd say, `Yes, I'll take care of it,' but he doesn't,'' said Moses, who has two daughters, a 4-month-old and a 4-year-old.

Police Capt. Philip Kennedy called the day a success.

``We dealt with some quality of life issues, some illegal drug sales and identified some conditions that were hazardous, that, gone uncorrected, could have put people at risk,'' said Kennedy.